Utilizing turbochargers is commonplace for increasing the density of air entering an engine of a machine to create more power. Increasing the density of the intake air may also increase the temperature of the air. As a result, charge air coolers are commonly provided, particularly in diesel engines, for removing the excess heat from the intake air and, thus, reducing premature compression ignition. Excess cooling of the charged air may provide opportunities for condensation to occur in the air intake system. In cold climates the moisture may first condense and then freeze, forming ice within the air intake system. This ice may accumulate until the machine is brought into a warmer climate, such as during machine maintenance, at which point the ice will thaw and collect within the air intake system.
As should be appreciated, significant amounts of condensate may collect at low points throughout the air intake system. Depending on the particular configuration of the air intake system, the volume of the condensate may be high enough, when introduced into an engine combustion chamber, to prohibit a compression event and cause damage to the engine if the crankshaft rotates without relieving the pressure within the combustion chamber.
Possible solutions to reduce the amount of condensate collected within the air intake system include the use of manual valves, which would require manual actuation during maintenance of the machine. Automatic drains may prove more reliable, however, many automatic drain designs have cost and reliability considerations. For example, passive mechanical valves are susceptible to contamination issues since certain operating conditions create a negative pressure within the air intake system, which may draw in unfiltered air. Japanese Patent No. 4216978 discloses an automatic drain positioned within an intercooler and opened in response to air supply pressure of an air supply system.
The present disclosure is directed to one or more of the problems set forth above.